novelraw Chapter 86: The last guesses
Chapter 86: The last guesses
With a sharp, violent motion, he prepared to hurl the massive spear clutched in his grasp.
A weapon forged not of metal, but condensed malice.
A spear meant to erase existence itself.
At—
{Undead Skill has been Activated}
{Pillagers of Hell}
Before the spear could leave Nomis' hand, the ground beneath his throne erupted.
A pitch-black, half-decayed undead hand burst forth from the marble floor, fingers wrapped in rotting flesh and cracked bone. It shot upward with unnatural speed, clamping tightly around the Eldritch King's arm.
Restraining both his hand—and the spear.
"WHAT?!"
Nomis snarled, his voice laced with disbelief and fury. He jerked his arm violently, eldritch energy flaring as he attempted to tear free from the grip.
The hand did not budge.
Its grip tightened.
This was wrong.
Unnatural.
Even for him.
Snarling louder, the Eldritch King raised his other hand, power gathering as he prepared to crush the undead limb with brute force.
Before he could strike—
Three more hands erupted from the ground at his side.
They wrapped themselves around his raised arm, gripping tight, decayed fingers digging into flesh hardened by centuries of slaughter.
More followed.
Hands latched onto his legs, binding them to the throne.
Others snaked upward, clamping around his neck.
Dragging him back.
Pinning him down.
The throne trembled as Nomis struggled, his roar echoing through the chamber as the undead restraints multiplied, each one radiating an eerie, hellish aura.
No matter how violently he shook.
No matter how much power he released.
He could not break free.
Silva stared in disbelief, her wide, fearful eyes trailing upward to the throne. The sight before her defied everything she knew. An Eldritch King—restrained. Held down like a prisoner.
Her breath caught in her throat.
'Who…?'
Her questions did not remain unanswered for long.
A familiar figure stepped into view from behind the throne, raising a hand in a hurried wave.
"You better hurry! I can't hold this for long!" Steven yelled.
Silva's eyes widened.
Steven.
The young Awakened gritted her teeth. There was no time for hesitation, no room for doubt. She spun on her heel and bolted toward the staircase leading up to the throne, her legs pumping with everything she had left.
She moved faster than she ever had before.
Far faster.
Steven watched in stunned silence as she surged forward, her form blurring as mana surged through her body. If she had been hiding her true strength before, she wasn't anymore.
Not now.
She was giving it everything.
Steven swallowed hard, then turned his attention inward.
{Pillagers of Hell}
{-20 Mana Points Per Second}
{Mana: 200/500}
His jaw clenched.
"I can't hold him for any longer!" Steven shouted again, his voice strained as sweat poured down his face. His gaze flicked toward the open descent, the escape route then back to the raging Eldritch King.
The undead hands trembled.
Cracks formed in the marble.
"Jump!" Silva yelled as she reached the top of the throne.
Without hesitation... without even a second of thought, she launched herself forward.
Her hand shot out, grabbing Steven by the collar.
Before he could protest, she pulled.
They both plummeted.
The fall was brutal.
They crashed into the ground below, tumbling violently across the marble floor. Their bodies rolled several meters before finally coming to a stop.
"Gaaah!" Steven groaned, pain shooting through his ribs. He hadn't expected that—at all. "You fucking bitch!"
There was no time to complain.
A system notification flared before his eyes.
{You Have Run Out of Mana!}
{All Skills Have Been Cancelled}
The undead hands vanished instantly.
Steven pushed himself to his feet, ignoring the sharp pain screaming through his body. Silva did the same, already turning toward the escape route.
The door was only several feet away.
They ran.
"You ANNOYING PESTS!"
The monstrous roar of the Eldritch King thundered behind them, shaking the chamber violently. Neither of them dared to look back.
They knew better.
A single second of hesitation could mean death.
Wham!
The deafening sound of metal slamming into stone echoed behind them as they crossed through the escape route Silva first, Steven right beside her.
The spear struck the marble floor mere inches behind them, embedding itself deep into the ground with terrifying force.
Despite reaching safety, they didn't slow down.
They ran.
Through dark, twisting tunnels.
Over uneven stone.
Through choking dust and shadows.
Until their stamina finally gave out.
Silva was the first to stop, stumbling back against the tunnel wall, her chest heaving violently. Steven leaned against the opposite wall, hands on his knees, breathing just as hard.
"We barely made it…" Steven joked weakly between gasps. "Pissing off an Eldritch Shadow Eater was… worth it…"
Silva let out a shaky laugh, then smiled.
"Thank you."
"For what exactly?"
She hesitated.
"For coming back for me when the others left. And for saving me from ultimate death. I didn't know another person had a skill capable of holding down an Eldritch."
Steven smiled faintly. That was his talent—not standing out.
"Thank you. But you were the one who pulled off a much greater feat."
Silva nodded. "At first, I was worried you were against me. You tried reading my skills… my Deity's conversation. But I'm proud you stayed. Of everyone here, I see you as an ally the most."
Steven squinted.
He wasn't buying it.
"Can't say the same about you."
Silva smiled knowingly. "Then let's do this… You can have it. I cannot read your fate. That's your advantage against me, if you ever decide you can't trust me. But only if you can defeat me."
Steven doubted that deeply.
Defeating a Clan Princess?
That was asking too much.
For now, he just smiled.
"So what's the next step?" Steven asked.
Silva grew serious. "We regroup. And we keep moving. I'm starting to understand what kind of realm this is."
Steven sighed. "I'm getting hungry. Save the analysis for when we're actually safe."
She nodded, forcing herself upright.
Without another word, the two Awakened disappeared deeper into the tunnels—moving once more toward an uncertain reunion with the surviving cohort.
***AUTHORS NOTE***
Sorry for the last mistake chapter! I just did this chapter but it was really stressful with work and a lot of exams! I don't know how the rest of the week will be and don't want to quit the work.
The supporters are dropping everyday. And when it's down to no more readers I will have no choice but to stop releasing.
Thanks for your support! Right now will do my best to release this entire month.